Reviving an Ancient Martial Art

THE cool mountain air grew cold with the rain in Salimpek village, Solok regency, West Sumatra. But the weather did not keep residents from congregating around a small plot of land, about the size of a volleyball court, next to wet onion fields in late August. They were too curious to witness something they had never seen: a fight between a local silek master-silek is Minang for silat, which refers to the martial arts indigenous to Indonesia and Malaysia-and a tall, large European man.

Yes, on that day, Sasaran Kincia Tuo, a silat school at 1,455 meters above sea level, was visited by seven European guests who came to test their martial arts skills. In the Minang language, sasaran means 'a place for martial arts training', and kincia tuo 'old mill'. The foreigners were participants in the 2014 Minangkabau Silek Camp, held from August 20-28. Beginning in Talang Babungo village, some 10 kilometers away from Salimpek, these masters from abroad set about learning some new moves and burnishing their old ones.